guide

''So you want to write a fic.'' But... Maybe English isn’t your first language. Maybe you’ve gotten some nasty comments about your grammar, or spelling, or formatting. Maybe you’re just not comfortable with writing conventions. Maybe there are a few little things that trip you up. Maybe you’ve never learned to format dialogue. Maybe, for one reason or another, you need a little help. Well. Here’s your help! Welcome to Mal’s Mega Fic Guide. It contains all sorts of information about grammar, common mistakes, dialogue formatting, and coding on Ao3! Feel free to access as much or as little of this guide as you need. You can see everything in any order as often as you like using the navigational links. Something not in the guide but really should be? Let me know! Contact me on <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/anundesirablechild">Tumblr</a> through DMs or the askbox. This thing is easily changed, so don’t be afraid to suggest new topics. Like my guide? Want to support me? Check out my <a href="https://ko-fi.com/sadclownnoises">Ko-Fi</a> and kick me a few bucks! ''NAVIGATION:'' Section 1 - [[Basic Grammar]] Section 2 - [[Dialogue Formatting]] Section 3 - [[Common Mistakes]] Section 4 - [[HTML and Work Skins]]

''Common Mistakes'' Alright, buckle up. Let’s get into the real reason I made this guide: everything I could think of that fic writers fuck up regularly. ''Common Mistakes Sections:'' [[Peek / Pique / Peak]] [[Breath vs Breathe]] [[Bear vs Bare]] [[Lose vs Loose]] [[Pores vs Pours]] [[Conscious vs Conscience]] [[Affect vs Effect]] [[Faze vs Phase]] [[In Lieu Of]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

Under construction. Sorry! [[Restart]]

''Basic Grammar'' I’m not here to teach you what a subject is, or what a noun is, or how to conjugate verbs. I’m not here to teach you English. This section is for common grammar mistakes as well as clarifications that could be helpful for writers. This is a guide for writing fic, so it’s not particularly concerned with grammar rules for the sake of correctness. It’s for the sake of clarity. ''Basic Grammar Sections:'' [[Capitalization]] [[Whose vs Who’s]] [[Its vs It’s]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[Common Mistakes]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

Always capitalize names and proper nouns. Not sure if you should capitalize something? Look it up! What about titles like “dad”? Easy - imagine you’re talking about your friend John instead of your dad. If you’d say “friend”, then the “dad” isn’t capitalized. If you’d say John, then the “dad” IS capitalized. ''EXAMPLES:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[My friend said it’s a good movie. -> My dad said it’s a good movie. Look, John, I think you’re overreacting. -> Look, Dad, I think you’re overreacting. That’s what John said! -> That’s what Dad said! ] What if I want to capitalize things for emphasis? Go ahead! That’s becoming very common these days, even in prose. The thing about fanfiction is that you never have to be proper, so long as you get your point across. Oftentimes, correct grammar and formatting is the best way to do that, but once you have a good grasp of the basics, you can play around with language for impact! ''Basic Grammar Sections:'' [[Whose vs Who’s]] [[Its vs It’s]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[Common Mistakes]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

WHO’S - Contraction. Short for “who is/has/was” and ONLY EVER short for “who is/has/was” ''TIP:'' If you can’t replace it in the sentence with “who is/has/was”, use WHOSE WHOSE - Possessive. Used to describe or ask about ownership. The lack of apostrophe is for clarity - to differentiate it from the contraction. ''INTERACTIVE EXAMPLES:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[Hey, (link:"whose/who’s")[who’s] that guy over there? (link:"Whose/Who’s")[Who’s] to say what is and isn’t allowed? (link:"Whose/Who’s")[Whose] glass is this? This is a guy (link:"whose/who’s")[who’s] worked alone for years. The man, (link:"whose/who’s")[whose] hands are shaking, nods.] ''Basic Grammar Sections:'' [[Capitalization]] [[Its vs It’s]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[Common Mistakes]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

IT’S - Contraction. Short for “it is/has/was” and ONLY EVER short for “it is/has/was” ''TIP:'' If you can’t replace it in the sentence with “it is/has/was”, use ITS ITS - Possessive. Used to describe something that belongs to whatever “it” is referring to. The lack of apostrophe is for clarity - to differentiate it from the contraction of “it” and “is/has/was” '' INTERACTIVE EXAMPLES:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[(link:"It’s/Its")[It’s] okay, man. Look at that dog, (link:"it’s/its")[its] mouth is foaming. Hey, (link:"it’s/its")[it’s] about time you started pulling your weight. Honestly, (link:"it’s/its")[it’s] always been like that. It swallowed everything in (link:"it’s/its")[its] path. He looked at (link:"it’s/its")[its] face and realized that (link:"it’s/its")[it’s] here to hunt.] ''Basic Grammar Sections:'' [[Capitalization]] [[Whose vs Who’s]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[Common Mistakes]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Quotation Marks'' All dialogue should be in quotation marks. Some people will use italics, but those are hard to read. Save italics for thoughts / telepathic communication, if you must use them. (And please, for the love of God, stop using them for flashbacks. It’s so hard to read entire paragraphs of italics. Trust your readers to understand that a flashback is a flashback without giving them a headache to prove it.) If someone is speaking words aloud, or otherwise communicating with words, those words should be in quotation marks. Depending on your keyboard / setup, you may or may not have access to opening and closing quotation marks. (I.E. “ and ”) Whether they’re curved / slanted or not doesn’t actually matter, unless you’re HTML coding. (We’ll get into that later.) When I say “opening quotation mark” I always mean the first one of the set, be it curved or straight or slanted or whatever. “Closing quotation mark” will mean the second mark in the pair. That being said - QUOTATION MARKS ALWAYS COME IN PAIRS! (Save one exception - more on that under ‘[[Paragraphs]]’) If you open a quotation, make sure you close it. ''Single vs Double Quotations - ‘’ vs “”'' This is by and large a preference. Technically, the correct one to use for dialogue is the double quotation mark. Seeing as this is a fic guide, it doesn’t really matter, though I think the double quotation mark is clearer by virtue of being correct. I typically use the double quotation for dialogue and the single for quotes therein ''EXAMPLE:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[“Oh, hey, I’m back!” says Ace. “Wait, the sections got moved around, so this is my first appearance, now. But it’s also possibly you skipped around and have seen me before… Oh well. I’ll introduce myself anyway. I’m Ace! The guy in charge calls me his ‘example character that is definitely not from something’ so I guess that’s what I am.”] ''Dialogue Formatting Sections:'' [[Commas, Capitals, and Other Punctuation]] [[Simplified Summary of Dialogue Formatting]] [[Paragraphs]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Common Mistakes]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Commas, Capitals, and Other Punctuation'' This kind of thing is really easy to mess up because it’s rarely ever explained, especially to people who did not get an education in English. Let’s clarify: a chunk of dialogue shouldn’t end with a period period if the sentence isn’t over. It should end with a comma or another suitable punctuation mark - an em dash, a question mark, or an exclamation point. …A little confusing just written out like that, right? Let’s clarify further: if you’re closing your dialogue, and there is no dialogue tag after the closing quotation mark, you can use whatever punctuation you want. But if there //is// a dialogue tag, you cannot use a period. This is because, as stated previously, the dialogue tag is part of the sentence that it’s in. It is continuous with the nearest line of dialogue it’s describing. …It’s still confusing, isn’t it? Okay, we can deal with this. Let’s just get in there and see these rules in action. We’ll let my boy Ace take over and explain things as best he can. ''EXAMPLE:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[“Any sentence before the last one can end with a period. That’s totally okay. It’s only the last one, if followed by a dialogue tag, that needs to end with a comma,” he says. “If there’s no dialogue tag, you can use a period.” He nods at her. “Even if there’s action in the same paragraph. It’s only dialogue tags that need to be included as part of the sentence.” She asks, “How, then, am I supposed to include the dialogue tag as part of the sentence if the tag is at the beginning?” “You did it just now,” he says. “You have the dialogue tag, follow it with a comma, then capitalize the first word after the opening quotation. The capital letter lets the reader know that the dialogue is a separate clause from the tag, and the comma shows that while it’s a separate clause, it’s still all part of the same sentence.” “Then why don’t you capitalize the dialogue tag when it comes at the end? Isn’t it a separate clause from the dialogue?” “Oh, that’s because the dialogue tag is ancillary to the actual dialogue. The dialogue itself is the important part, so we capitalize the start of it to emphasize that. The tag, meanwhile, is just helpful extra information. It’s supposed to fade into the background,” he explains. She nods. “Okay, and what about other punctuation marks?” she asks. “The only one you can’t use right before a dialogue tag is a period!” he announces. “You still keep the dialogue tag in lowercase, even with the exclamation point or question mark. Unless it’s someone’s name, obviously. Names are always capitalized.” “So if I say your name, I should say Ace?” “That’s right,” Ace says. “What about an interruption?” “Oh, well, that’s—” She cuts him off, saying, “Wait, I think I got it.” “Well, yeah, but that wasn’t very nice—” he gets cut off again. “But that’s the point!” “I know, but—” He stops short. “Fine, whatever.” “Wait,” she says, “why was that ‘fine’ capitalized? And for that matter, why wasn’t my ‘why’, either?” With a shrug, Ace explains, “Well, ‘stopping short’ is not, in the opinion of the author, a dialogue tag. It’s an action. So it’s not part of the sentence. Therefore, it is its own sentence, and thus gets capitalized.” He makes a gesture as if to demonstrate his point. “That’s true of all actions in the middle of dialogue. As far as your ‘why’ goes - a dialogue tag does not have to end the sentence. Your line ‘wait, why was the capitalized’ is one continuous sentence, in the eyes of the author, and a dialogue tag in the middle of it does not change that fact. That distinction is left to the discretion of the author.” “Why is that?” “Why is what?” “Why is it just up to the author?” “I dunno. A lot of things are up to the author. Like what counts as a dialogue tag, for example. Everyone agrees on ‘said’ and ‘whispered’ but there’s plenty of debate on ‘laughed’ or ‘snorted’ or anything else. Can you really laugh and talk at the same time? Can you really hum words? Who knows - each author makes their own choices. With mid-sentence dialogue tags, they affect the rhythm of the line,” he tells her. “So that’s why it’s up to author to employ them or not. Dialogue tags tend to fit best between clauses,” he says, “so there often isn’t a ‘right’ answer if the next line should be a new sentence or not.” “What if there’s action in the middle of dialogue but no tags?” “Well, we’ve done plenty of that already.” He gestures vaguely at the wall of text above them. “But I assume you mean something more immediate. The hard stop followed by a new sentence makes it feel as if the action is happening after the line is said. To give it a more instantaneous feel, you can do it like this,” he says, doing another vague gesture, “though that one does have a tag. To make it even more immediate, and to have it without tags, you can”—he waves his arms around—“do it like this. Those are em dashes, and there are no spaces between them, the quotation marks, or the words.” “This is all so complicated,” she says wretchedly. He nods solemnly. “It can be. But if you refer often to guides and pay attention to the formatting in properly published works, it’s manageable.” “Any other wisdom to impart?” “Um…” he trails off, clearly thinking. “Ellipses, I guess. They work like question marks and exclamation points.” “Makes sense. Anything else?” “I don’t— Actually, wait. I think I might— Yeah, I got it. Stopping short and restarting? Usually done with an em dash attached to what’s being cut off, with a space before what’s replacing it. The new thought is just that, a new thought, so it’s a new sentence and therefore capitalized. Typically, stuttering is done with em dashes and no spaces. So it—it—it looks like that. It’s a continuation of the same thought and therefore the same sentence so it’s not capitalized. Even if it isn’t the same word, like—um—this—uh—kind of thing, it’s still the same thought so it’s all lowercase.”] ''Dialogue Formatting Sections:'' [[Quotation Marks]] [[Simplified Summary of Dialogue Formatting]] [[Paragraphs]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Common Mistakes]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Simplified Summary of Dialogue Formatting'' As inclusive as I could make it while still remaining clear. Take it away, Ace! “Hi,” he said. “Hi!” he said. “Hi?” he said. He said, “Hi.” “Hi,” Ace said. Ace said, “Hi.” “Hi,” said Ace. “Hello, also.” “Hi,” said Ace, “and also hello.” “Hi, I’m waving at you”—he waves—“as I speak.” “Hi…” he said. He said, “Hi—” “Hi— Um, hello, actually,” he said. “I—um—I, uh—hi,” he stuttered. “Hi.” He waved. “Hello.” ''Dialogue Formatting Sections:'' [[Quotation Marks]] [[Commas, Capitals, and Other Punctuation]] [[Paragraphs]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Common Mistakes]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Dialogue Formatting'' This is //the// most common issue in fics. I myself fucked this up for years and years. QUICK LANGUAGE NOTE: I’m going to be using the phrase “dialogue tag” a lot in this section. What is that? It’s pretty straightforward - it’s that little bit of text that tells you who is speaking and how they’re doing so. He said, she whispered, etc. It can come before, after, or in the middle of the dialogue it’s describing. The important thing to know is that it is //part of the sentence// it’s in. ''Dialogue Formatting Sections:'' [[Quotation Marks]] [[Commas, Capitals, and Other Punctuation]] [[Simplified Summary of Dialogue Formatting]] [[Paragraphs]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Common Mistakes]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Paragraphs'' Every new speaker should get a new paragraph. NEVER have two different characters speak in the same paragraph. ''WRONG:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[“Hi,” he said shyly. “Hi,” she said back, just as shyly.] ''RIGHT:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[“Hi,” he said shyly. “Hi,” she said back, just as shyly.] But what if I always have dialogue tags so it’s clear who’s speaking? NO. NEW LINE EVERY TIME. Why? For clarity, mostly. It allows the reader to follow changes in the speaker without needing a dialogue tag on every line. Constant dialogue tags can bog the prose down and make conversations feel far longer than they are. It also keeps up a sense of forward momentum. What if one character is speaking for so long that it needs multiple paragraphs? That’s a good question. Because a new line typically denotes a new speaker, readers would assume that’s exactly what a line break means. Luckily, there’s a shorthand to let the reader know the same speaker will be continuing into the next paragraph - you leave off the closing quotation mark. So, in action: (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[“If a character is talking, it’s going to be in quotation marks. So it should, as all dialogue does, start with an opening quotation mark. Then there is the block of text denoting what is being said. Then, let’s say we want to end the paragraph here, but our speaker isn’t done yet. We’ll just stop. “And pick it up down here. See how we didn’t have a closing quotation mark after the word stop? That’s how we tell the reader that this is still the same speaker. Then, when it comes time for the speech to end, we’ll end it the way we always do. Closing quotation mark, please!”] There are ways around this, of course. You could have the speaker, our pal Ace, continue. That would look something like this: (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[“My name is Ace and I’m talking. I’m giving a big speech about something cool, or maybe it’s something lame. Who knows. It’s kind of a long speech, though. Let me take a tiny break.” Ace continues, “And now I’m talking again. This is a perfectly valid way of having one character talk for multiple paragraphs.”] What about with action? (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[Walking up to the podium, Ace clears his throat and says, “Hello, everyone. I’m giving you an example speech. I hope you’ll bear with.” He clears his throat again, tapping his fingers on the wood in front of him. “I’ve been given nervous habits for the purposes of this example. A little unfair, if you ask me, but I’m not in charge here. “The guy in charge knows what he’s talking about, though, so I guess it’s alright to defer to him. If he says I have nervous habits, then I have nervous habits.” Ace clears his throat yet again. He scuffs his boot on the floor. “Kind of a terrible speech,” Ace continues, tugging at his collar. “But there’s nothing to be done for it. Thanks for letting me waste your time.”] ''Dialogue Formatting Sections:'' [[Quotation Marks]] [[Commas, Capitals, and Other Punctuation]] [[Simplified Summary of Dialogue Formatting]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Common Mistakes]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Peek / Pique / Peak'' Three different words with totally different meanings. Mixing them up is easy but unfortunately makes you look foolish. Let’s see if we can sort them out! ''Peek'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[This one means looking. If you’re sneaking a look at something, you’re sneaking a peek. You’re peeking. Or maybe you peeked in the past. TIP: Try thinking of the two Es as eyes. Or maybe think of it as pe(y)ek. Whatever helps!] ''Pique'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[This is an antiquated word used almost exclusively in a single phrase - something piques your interest or curiosity. If your interest or curiosity is being stimulated, it’s being piqued! It’s piquing you! ''TIP:'' Don’t use this word outside of that phrase and you’ll be fine. Sometimes it’s used as a descriptor for a state of irritation (usually phrased as ‘a state of pique’) but that’s uncommon.] ''Peak'' This is the one that means the top of something, or the best. Trying to describe the summit of a mountain? That’s the peak. Trying to describe the greatest movie ever made? That’s peak cinema. ''INTERACTIVE EXAMPLES:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[I can’t believe you (link:"peeked/piqued/peaked")[peeked] at the test answers! His strange behavior (link:"peeked/piqued/peaked")[piqued] my curiosity. I’ll meet you at the (link:"peek/pique/peak")[peak] after I get this rock out of my hiking boot. He’s gone into another room to change - don’t (link:"peek/pique/peak")[peek], okay? This is (link:"peek/pique/peak")[peak] cinematography, man, no one’s ever gonna top it. Keep quoting that movie and you’ll really (link:"peek/pique/peak")[pique] my interest.] ''Common Mistakes Sections:'' [[Breath vs Breathe]] [[Bear vs Bare]] [[Lose vs Loose]] [[Pores vs Pours]] [[Conscious vs Conscience]] [[Affect vs Effect]] [[Faze vs Phase]] [[In Lieu Of]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Breath vs Breathe'' Honestly, this one’s tricky, especially if you’re typing quickly. The best way to remember which one to use is to remember that they’re pronounced differently and try saying your sentences out loud. ''Breath'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[This is the noun. The BREA is pronounced the same way it is in the word ‘bread’, just followed by TH instead of a D. If you’re inhaling, you’re taking a breath. This the one in the phrase “under one’s breath”!] ''Breathe'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[This is the verb. The BREA is pronounced like the word ‘breed’, just followed TH instead of a D. If I’m telling you to inhale and exhale, I’m telling you to breathe.] ''INTERACTIVE EXAMPLES:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[Take a deep (link:"breath/breathe")[breath]. Just (link:"breath/breathe")[breathe], man, it’s okay. He lost his (link:"breath/breathe")[breath] when he saw the stunning sight before him. She said something nasty under her (link:"breath/breathe")[breath]. I never so much as (link:"oh actually this one only has one option sorry")[breathed] in his direction! Can you give me a second to catch my (link:"breath/breathe")[breath]? Your heavy (link:"this one also only has one answer. oops")[breathing] is so annoying, you need to use your inhaler.] ''Common Mistakes Sections:'' [[Peek / Pique / Peak]] [[Bear vs Bare]] [[Lose vs Loose]] [[Pores vs Pours]] [[Conscious vs Conscience]] [[Affect vs Effect]] [[Faze vs Phase]] [[In Lieu Of]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Bear vs Bare'' This one is easy to fuck up until you learn the trick - that is, to bare means to expose or to make/be naked. If you’re trying to say anything else, it’s pretty safe to default to ‘bear’. ''Bear'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[This word is many things. It can mean a large omnivorous mammal, or a large hairy gay man. I’m going to consult Merriam Webster and run down the list of what it can mean when used as a verb. It can mean to accept or allow, to call for as suitable or essential, to assume, to support the weight of, to hold above, on top, or aloft, to move while holding up and supporting (something), to have as a characteristic, to be equipped or furnished with (something), to have as an identification, to hold in the mind or emotions, to describe behavior, to give as testimony, to disseminate, to lead or escort, to render or give, to give birth to or produce as yield, to permit growth of, to thrust or press, to go or incline in an indicated direction, to be situated, to become directed, to force one’s way, to apply or pertain, to exert influence or force. Adding in the common phrases “to bear arms”, “bearing fruit”, “bear in mind”, and “bear with”, we get so many uses for this one word that it’s a little ridiculous. It’s so versatile that it’s a safe bet to go for this one over bare nine times out of ten. ''NOTE:'' Past tense - bore ''SECOND NOTE:'' This is where the word “born/borne” comes from.] ''Bare'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[This one is easy. Like I said, it only ever means to uncover / expose / make naked. If nothing is being (or has been) exposed, then go with ‘bear’! Please keep in mind that it can be used as an adjective, too, to describe something that is naked / exposed / unadorned. ''NOTE:'' Past tense - bared] ''INTERACTIVE EXAMPLES:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[I couldn’t (link:"bear/bare")[bear] the pain, I had to give up. I can’t believe you saw his (link:"bear/bare")[bare] ass and didn’t tell me until now! It [(link:"bears/bares")[bears] repeating: don’t take a peek at the peak unless you want to risk piquing my anger! The dog (link:"beared/bared")[bared] its teeth, exposing shocking white gums. It’s hard to believe you (link:"bore/bared")[bore] all that weight for so long without crumbling. Don’t you think it’s humiliating to (link:"bear/bare")[bare] your soul like that? He (link:"bears/bares")[bears] his father’s name, though we usually just call him junior. I damn near punched him in the mouth when he (link:"bore/bared")[bared] himself to me! Do you really not (link:"bear/bare")[bear] any resentment for how we’ve treated you? Sometimes I want to kill you with my (link:"bear/bare")[bare] hands. It’s against the law to (link:"bear/bare")[bear] false witness and you know it! (link:"Bear/Bare")[Bear] in mind that anything you say to me now will be repeated to my bestie later. We only have the (link:"bear/bare")[bare] necessities, but that should be enough for tonight. That’s a fruit-(link:"bearing/baring")[bearing] tree, you shouldn’t cut it down. I know you don’t want to fight, but I think it’s time for us to (link:"bear/bare")[bear] arms. I hope this project of yours (link:"bears/bares")[bears] fruit, considering how much money we’ve sunk into it. Please (link:"bear/bare")[bear] with me while I neurotically list every possible use of this word I can think of.] ''Common Mistakes Sections:'' [[Peek / Pique / Peak]] [[Breath vs Breathe]] [[Lose vs Loose]] [[Pores vs Pours]] [[Conscious vs Conscience]] [[Affect vs Effect]] [[Faze vs Phase]] [[In Lieu Of]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Lose vs Loose'' This is another one that can be tricky until you learn the trick - lose is verb, and loose is an adjective! We’ll go over the definitions, too, but that’s the most important distinction to help you keep them straight. ''Lose'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[This is the one that means you had something but don’t anymore. Or maybe you were playing a game and you didn’t win. It’s a verb! Past tense: lost. You could turn it into a noun (loss) but that one isn’t ever mixed up with loose so it’s not particularly relevant to us right now.] ''Loose'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[This is the one that means something is relaxed, not tight / rigid. It’s an adjective! Past tense: there is no past tense, of course. It’s not a verb.] ''INTERACTIVE EXAMPLES:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[Did you (link:"lose/loose")[lose] your hair tie again? We won’t (link:"lose/loose")[lose] to that team, they’re no good. Please tighten that (link:"lose/loose")[loose] screw. After finishing his exam, he looked (link:"lose/loose")[loose] and relaxed. (link:"Losen/Loosen")[Loosen] up, it’s a party! Hey, don’t (link:"lose/loose")[lose] your mind, man, we need to be careful! Follow the map carefully so you don’t get (link:"lost/loosed")[lost].] ''Common Mistakes Sections:'' [[Peek / Pique / Peak]] [[Breath vs Breathe]] [[Bear vs Bare]] [[Pores vs Pours]] [[Conscious vs Conscience]] [[Affect vs Effect]] [[Faze vs Phase]] [[In Lieu Of]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Pores vs Pours'' These words are usually only mixed up in a single phrase, which is used to describe someone looking closely at something in order to learn from it. Writers //very// often get this wrong, so I’ve included it here - it’s PORES over, not pours. Why? Well, it’s because ‘pore’ is not just a noun! When folks these days hear the word ‘pore’ we think of pores, like, on our skin. While that’s what the word means most of the time, if you consult any dictionary, it will tell you that pore is also a verb, meaning to look intently. It rarely gets any use, these days, and pretty much lives only in the expression ‘pores over’ but it does live there! Why not ‘pour’? Well, I understand how easy it is to talk yourself into using pour in the expression. I’ve done it plenty of times. It’s easy to imagine the subject leaning over what they’re examining, so intense that they seem to be pouring themself into their work. It works well as a metaphor! But, well, the thing here is that it isn’t a metaphor. It’s a perfectly straightforward phrase with a highly literal meaning. Can you still use ‘pour’? Sure. I’m not your dad. But it will certainly make you look foolish to those in the know. ''Common Mistakes Sections:'' [[Peek / Pique / Peak]] [[Breath vs Breathe]] [[Bear vs Bare]] [[Lose vs Loose]] [[Conscious vs Conscience]] [[Affect vs Effect]] [[Faze vs Phase]] [[In Lieu Of]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Conscious vs Conscience'' I see these two mixed up just often enough that I thought I’d include them. The easiest way to help yourself distinguish them is as follows: conscious = awareness, conscience = morality. Let’s expand on that, for those who are unsure what I mean. ''Conscious'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[Like I said, this one refers to awareness. It has a few different common forms / usages. To be awake and aware is to be conscious. The part of the psyche that your normal thoughts come from, and you are thus aware of, is the conscious mind. The part of your psyche that lies below your normal thoughts, and therefore below your awareness, is the subconscious. To be asleep and therefore unaware is to be unconscious. When you’re doing something intentionally, when you’re aware of it, you’re doing it consciously. If you’re overly aware of how other people see you, you’re self-conscious. All these are defined by their relationship to awareness.] ''Conscience'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[This one refers to morality. If you think something is morally wrong, it goes against your conscience. When you have a little voice in your head telling you right from wrong, that’s your conscience. If you can’t do something without feeling awful about it, you can’t do it in good conscience. This is where the word conscientious comes from. ''TIP:'' Subconscience is not a word. You’re looking for ‘subconscious’ I promise.] ''Common Mistakes Sections:'' [[Peek / Pique / Peak]] [[Breath vs Breathe]] [[Bear vs Bare]] [[Lose vs Loose]] [[Pores vs Pours]] [[Affect vs Effect]] [[Faze vs Phase]] [[In Lieu Of]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''Affect vs Effect'' I see writers mess this up all the time. It’s another one that can be confusing if you don’t know the trick, and like a few of the others, this one is also determined by type of word. Generally speaking, affect is verb, and effect is a noun. (We’ll get into exceptions in a bit. Unfortunately there are multiple.) If you’re trying to talk about the process of influencing or impacting something, you’re talking about affecting that thing. If you’re trying to talk about the results of that process, you’re talking about the effect. Let’s look at them each a bit closer. ''Affect'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[Like I said, this one is usually a verb. You affect something, you’re affecting it, you’ve affected it. It means to change, to influence. The problem comes from the fact that while it is //usually// a verb, that isn’t always the case. Sometimes it’s a noun. When it’s a noun, it’s usually used with a qualifying adjective, as means of describing tone or mood. Someone with a good affect is in a good mood and has, shall we say, Positive Vibes. This is an uncommon usage so if you’re not comfortable with it, just avoid it. ''TIP:'' When it’s a noun, affect is pronounced differently. This will help if you’re comfortable speaking the language aloud.] ''Effect'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[As stated previously, this is generally a noun. However, it, too, can also be a verb, which throws a spanner in the works. When effect is a noun, it means outcome / result. If you changed something, you had an effect on it. If the change accomplished what you set out to accomplish, it was effective. If you’re talking about the visuals added to a movie to enhance it, you’re talking about special effects. So how about when it’s a verb? The trick, here, is in the definition. When effect is a verb, it means to BRING ABOUT or CAUSE. Not //change//. If you’re not sure which verb to use between affect and effect, think closely about what it is you’re trying to say. If something is changing, go with affect. If something is being caused, go with effect. A specific context that may trip you up is the common phrased ‘effecting change’ which, as I’ve just typed, uses the word effect instead of affect. You might wonder why, since it’s literally talking about change, but you’re not changing change. You’re //bringing about// change, and therefore it is effect. ''TIP:'' Effect as a verb is more common than affect as a noun, but it’s still not nearly as common as affect as a verb. Generally speaking, if you need a verb, it’s going to be affect.] ''INTERACTIVE EXAMPLES:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[How much daylight there is (link:"affects/effects")[affects] my mood. I want to have an (link:"affect/effect")[effect] on that kid’s life. That movie really (link:"affected/effected")[affected] me emotionally. Your shaky hands are (link:"affecting/effecting")[affecting] the reading results! This medicine shouldn’t have many side (link:"affects/effects")[effects]. His policies are all about (link:"affecting/effecting")[effecting] real change.] ''Common Mistakes Sections:'' [[Peek / Pique / Peak]] [[Breath vs Breathe]] [[Bear vs Bare]] [[Restart]] [[Lose vs Loose]] [[Pores vs Pours]] [[Conscious vs Conscience]] [[Faze vs Phase]] [[In Lieu Of]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[HTML and Work Skins]]

''Faze vs Phase'' This is one I still struggle with sometimes. I don’t know what it is. I think it’s because faze doesn’t look or feel like a real word. The thing is, though… It //is// a real word! Look it up in any dictionary! Okay, so, fine, it’s a real word. When should we use it, then? Luckily, that’s easy. To faze is to disconcert or otherwise negatively impact composure. Phase has a few uses, which we’ll go over in a bit. So basically - if you’re trying to say someone or something has been disturbed or thrown off, you want the word faze. If you’re trying to say anything else, you want phase. ''Faze'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[To disconcert / throw off / negatively impact composure. This is the only use of this word in the modern day. For some reason, you almost always use it in the negative. You usually don’t say someone is fazed, you almost always say they’re //not// fazed. Unfazed. I wonder why that is.] ''Phase'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[Like I said, this one has a few uses. As a noun, it means a temporary state. You know, like someone’s middle school emo phase. Or it could be a temporary but recurring state, like the phases of the moon. As a verb, it can be used to describe something fading into or through something else. A ghost phasing through a wall. Phasing out something that wasn’t working. Phasing in something new.] ''EXAMPLES:'' (align:"<==")+(box:"=XXXXXXXXXX")[That loud noise didn’t (link:"faze/phase")[faze] her at all - she barely blinked! I’m glad liking musical theater was just a (link:"faze/phase")[phase]. I think waxing crescent is my favorite (link:"faze/phase")[phase] of the moon. Despite all my needling, he remained (link:"unfazed/unphased")[unfazed]. It’s hard to believe they weren’t (link:"fazed/phased")[fazed] by that horrible singing. We’re going to (link:"faze/phase")[phase] out the old stickers and (link:"faze/phase")[phase] in the new ones.] ''Common Mistakes Sections:'' [[Peek / Pique / Peak]] [[Breath vs Breathe]] [[Bear vs Bare]] [[Lose vs Loose]] [[Pores vs Pours]] [[Conscious vs Conscience]] [[Affect vs Effect]] [[In Lieu Of]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]

''In Lieu Of'' Hello and welcome to my ultimate pet peeve. Please, if you take nothing else from this guide, at least open your heart to learning the truth about this phrase. In lieu of means INSTEAD OF. It does //not// mean in light of, or in relation to, or because of, or anything else. It ONLY means INSTEAD OF. It is a REPLACEMENT. Ahem. Sorry. This is one I see people misuse more often than not. It leads to much confusion for those of us that //do// know the proper definition, so please, try to use it correctly. I’ll show you why it matters, with an example from my genetics class: one of the TAs told us that, in lieu of the final exam, they would offer extra credit assignments. The proper and correct interpretation of that statement is that the students could do the extra credit assignments and not the final. This was, of course, not what he meant, which illuminates my point perfectly - IT IS SO FUCKING CONFUSING WHEN PEOPLE USE IT WRONG. DON’T BE A PART OF THE PROBLEM! USE IT CORRECTLY! ''Common Mistakes Sections:'' [[Peek / Pique / Peak]] [[Breath vs Breathe]] [[Bear vs Bare]] [[Lose vs Loose]] [[Pores vs Pours]] [[Conscious vs Conscience]] [[Affect vs Effect]] [[Faze vs Phase]] --- ''Navigation:'' [[Basic Grammar]] [[Dialogue Formatting]] [[HTML and Work Skins]] [[Restart]]